Cheney’s daughter: Bush must catch up on gay rights

US Vice President Dick Cheney’s lesbian daughter has spoken out against President George W Bush for the first time over his opposition to gay marriage.

Mary Cheney, who has often been criticised for remaining silent on Mr Bush’s gay policy, has revealed that she considered quitting the 2004 campaign because of the GOP’s gay stand.

She told Diane Sawyer in an interview on ABC to be broadcast next week, “I struggled with my decision to stay on the 2004 campaign,” and explained how she refused d to attend the State of the Union when she found out the President would announce his support for an amendment banning gay marriage,

“I didn’t want to be there, no one banned me from being there. But I didn’t want to stand up and cheer.”

Ms Cheney also spoke about coming out to her parents, “There’s not a moment I can ever point to and say that’s when I knew I was different. That’s when I knew I was gay.

“It just was sort of this thing that dawned on me over time.”

Describing her father’s reaction, she said: “He’s just this great even-keeled guy, and I told him and his reaction was, ‘You know, look, you’re my daughter and I love you and I just want you to be happy.’ And that was it.”

She described President Bush as “a good man” but said “he hasn’t caught up” on gay issues.

The interview was used to promote her autobiography, Now It’s My Turn, released this month.

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